The high-drama over naphtha unloading is finally over with the process of pumping the remainder of liquid cargo from ill-fated MV Nu-Shi Nalini to Ganesh Benzoplast Limited tanks completed. Everything appears to have gone according to plan, and the ship is moved out of Berth 8 as scheduled. While the dreaded Nalini saga draws to a close, many questions have remained unanswered, questions that continue to baffle the minds of common citizens who were made to believe that their safety is paramount.
While the MPT had said all safety precautions are in place for transfer of the liquid cargo to Benzoplast tanks, the Collectors order said all was not okay. It pointed at glaring irregularities, including exposed pipeline at two different sites and lack of fire and other safety measures. This being the case, surprisingly, even the Collector’s notice could not succeed in stopping the transfer, indicating that it was issued to appease power-hungry politicos who were hell-bent in grabbing their share of the pie. Even demands for pumping back the initial 500 metric tonnes of cargo to the ship were preposterous because going by the fears raised by Mormugao MLA Milind Naik earlier, this exercise too would involve risks.
If disaster safety measures were found not in place, where were authorities all this while? And why was Ganesh Benzoplast allowed to pump naphtha till now? Didn’t anyone care for the safety of people in the vicinity? How were licenses granted to the firm to handle naphtha and other highly combustible liquid cargo in the first place? It appears that the threat perception surfaced because there were vested interests involved. Will the administration still proceed and revoke permissions to Benzoplast, or since naphtha is already unloaded, will this be a shut case?
Urban Development Minister Milind Naik created an uproar and was defiant in his stand of blocking transfer of naphtha into tanks even before it could reach the Port. He went to such an extent of ridiculing Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Chief Secretary for not engaging him on the issue. The controversy has only exposed the chinks within the government where ministers are throwing their tantrums and openly expressing dissent. Utterances like these reflect poorly on the authority of the chief minister, who till now is believed to be wielding fair control over his team. Such rebellious open outbursts can only be a trigger for other disgruntled elements to follow.
The Nalini saga leaves behind a trail. Selfish and vested political interests, government’s indecisiveness and State’s unpreparedness on disaster management have been completely exposed. It’s time the administration goes into introspection and pick up the pieces. Government needs to put stringent and water-tight systems in place before another Nalini or River Princess comes calling.
